News
Wednesday breather stretches fuel stock drawdown
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
The public sector has scaled down operations after measures were put in place this week to cut down on energy use and fuel.
While mentioning disruptions and increases in fuel prices, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament on Friday that reserve stocks have been secured.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody told Parliament that Octane 92 petrol is available until April 23, Octane 95 petrol until May 10, and diesel until April 12.
From last Wednesday, departments, ministries, institutions, and district and divisional secretaries chose to use rosters, working from home, and to do more work with limited staff.
This is in addition to the government decision to declare every Wednesday a state holiday to help reduce people arriving at state departments and institutions so that fuel and energy use would be reduced.
Public Administration Ministry Secretary S. Aloka Bandara said the private sector also had been asked to give the holiday.
“This holiday was given because of the fuel availability issue. If this is to work better, even the private sector should follow it. It is only then that the fuel use can be reduced,’’ he said.
Mr Aloka Bandara said that although the break affects normalcy, it would help stabilise the economy as well as help people to manage available fuel.
According to him, the mid-week holiday will remain but is subject to change as the situation evolves.
The postal department warned of delays and asked for patience.
Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara explained that during the Wednesday holiday mail accumulated, creating a backlog for Thursday.
Large lorries were used to transport most of Wednesday’s mail, which was sorted out in the morning. According to him, the post will use large lorries to distribute the mail that has been held back and mail received anew to reduce the backlog.
Mr Sathkumara admitted mail could be delayed due to the shortage of fuel.
“Our vehicles, including those in provinces, have to remain in fuel queues, and that adds up to the delays,” he said. The situation will be reviewed, and a plan will be made to handle the backlog in upcoming weeks.
Following the Wednesday state holiday, more people turned up at the head office of the Department of Motor Traffic and its district offices on Thursday.
The Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic, Kamal Amarasinghe, told the Sunday Times that most who turned up at the head office on Thursday were ones who wanted to get their vehicles transferred so they could obtain new QR codes for fuel.
“Banks close at 3 p.m. So we can only take a limited number of applicants who make payments to banks,’’ he said.
Mostly motorcyclists as well as car owners who had open papers must get their vehicles transferred so they could get a new fuel pass. So the DMT had to work.
The Registrar General’s Department said the department took the holiday, but then work piled up.
District secretaries are awaiting further instructions from the Public Administration Ministry to consider whether the work-from-home option could be adopted.
However, the Colombo District Secretariat has already adopted a roster to reduce the number of people who come to work on the four working days of the week.
Colombo District secretary Ginige Prasanna Janaka Kumara explained that they adopted a roster system for their employees during the four days that they were working.
“On Wednesday we closed our office, and we made a roster for our employees so that those who are living closer to the District Secretariat as well as those who are essential to the main department could work at the office, while those who could work from home will do so,” he said. Still, everyone should at least work at the office for two days.
According to him, essential services as well as providing compensation to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah are done at divisional secretariats even at weekends.
Gampaha District Secretary Lalinda Gamage said that despite the Wednesday state holiday, a limited number of staff were called in to operate essential services.
“Some additional secretaries and I came to work, as well as divisional secretariats, and a few senior officials were called in to coordinate essential services.”
He said that though the government is considering work from home, a circular had not been issued by the Ministry of Public Administration. But he is prepared.
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